Reflecting on a year of library networking

Weather in the northeast corner of the country where I live has turned cold, which means it’s time for a yearly reflection on the months that have passed. While I think it’s important to regularly review certain aspects of one’s job – such as evaluation goals and timeline-based projects – an overview of achievements gained and ones that have stalled is important for growth moving forward.

I’d like to focus this post on how I’ve expanded my network of connections to those in the academic library setting and, more specifically, Access Services. As I’ve come to learn over time, this field is very broad in the world of libraries. Professionals in it wear many hats, a challenge many of us (myself included) have had to lovingly embrace as a side effect of the field we find ourselves in. This isn’t to say it’s a negative thing – in fact, it’s very positive. This field requires us to know a little bit about everything that goes on within the wall of our libraries, from building entrance and exit points, book processing, student worker management, and access to resources.

We’re the front line for our libraries. This means we see the most of what goes on that others do not. Ninety-five percent of the time we’ve got a handle on it, but other times we are left wondering, “Does anyone else experience this, too?”

Enter networking!

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the Access Services in Libraries annual conference held in Atlanta, Georgia for the last four years. It’s been extremely valuable and rewarding to get the opportunity to talk with others about their experiences, share struggles and victories, and learn new ways to engage with my student employees. There are travel grant opportunities available each year for this conference, which I was fortunate enough to receive in the first year I attended.

Another resource for networking has come from attending virtual access service interest group meetings and in-person, one-day workshops for consortiums my library is affiliated with. These opportunities have allowed me to expand on best practices for library policies and procedures that need tweaked, such as student working hiring and collection development.

Looking back on these networking opportunities over the past year, I feel lucky to have not only met many wonderful professionals in the field but also had the chance to share what my small academic library has been able to accomplish. This time in higher education is tough for many individuals and institutions. Sharing what works provides endless benefits for those who need a boost, and also allows those struggling to realize that they aren’t alone!